June & Sunny's Fall Capsule Wardrobes
A few months ago I found myself spending more time than necessary thinking about what my girls should wear when getting them dressed for the day. Maybe you can relate to my inner dialogue that went something like this "Ahh crap, these don't fit Sunny anymore. Why doesn't June own a single long sleeved item!? Well, she can't wear this cause I have nothing to go underneath it. Why haven't I put all of these newborn winter clothes away? Why does June only have one pair of sandals when she can't even put them on herself!? Note to self: stop buying pink shirts AND pink pants. Nothing goes together!!!"
To make matters worse, I also haven't been taking the time to remove the items that don't fit or are the wrong season, and it's left me with a false sense of clothing that actually does fit. 😂"Oh what this 2T snowsuit won't work for our summer vacay? Weird!?!"
And after thinking those things for a few weeks in a row, I decided to finally give this whole capsule wardrobe thing a shot. I have thought about doing a capsule wardrobe for June for at least two years now. In fact, I've always wanted to do one for myself, but haven't gotten around to it yet. And like most things in life, once you become a parent, you tend to do the thing for your kids before yourself.
I desire to be smart and resourceful as a Mom, plus be intentional with our money and purchases. Plus I desire to do less laundry. Like, wayyyyy less laundry. So, here we are. For the next few seasons, I'm going to try out the capsule wardrobe method for my kids. (Although to be totally honest, I feel much more comfortable calling it an "intentional wardrobe".)
Goals: cut down on laundry, live a little simpler, and buy better things. Keeping in mind that better doesn't necessarily mean more expensive things, but just better -- for me and my family.
Plan: take the time to purchase clothes that I love for my girls and support small businesses when I can, and then have my kiddos wear these clothes --- day in and day out -- until they wear out.
Technically a true capsule wardrobe has a very limited number of pieces that you wear year-round. But, with kids, who grow faster than the weeds overtaking my vegetable garden, I feel this rule can be bent a little bit because the pieces I have for my girls now honestly might not fit in six months! I have instead decided to follow some of the other tried and true rules of making a capsule wardrobe -- ie: have a limited number of pieces, choose a color scheme, choose classic shapes and patterns, and choose high-quality fabrics.
As an avid Target shopper, I've fallen into the "let's just see what's new, or on clearance" and I pick up random items from time to time. And while they're a great price, or even really cute, there is no plan behind it. And so each season I'm left with a closet full of things that just don't quite work 100% of the time, or items are only worn once or twice, or never!
Obviously, I'm not anti-Target! I've included Target items in this capsule, cause sometimes you just can't beat the price.
My first step was to go through June's current clothes and pack away anything that was too small, out of season, or that we just won't be using the next few months. I kept 90% of the items that were too small for June so Sunny can wear them in a few years. And I packed away a small amount of Sunny's little clothes for future babies or for friends.
It just so happens to work out that June and Sunny are almost exactly 3 years apart (just shy by one month.) Therefore, any clothes of June's that I saved for "future babies" fit Sunny perfectly because they're the right age and the right season. What I'm realizing though, as I pull items out of my plastic storage bin every few months for Sunny, is that the items of June's I did save are the nicer items. Sure there's a random Target or Old Navy item here and there, but most of the saved items are walk in love., Mochi Kids, babyGap and a few others. They're the ones that stood the test of wear and tear and washing. (Again: just want to remind you that this isn't a post to encourage you to buy more expensive items for your kids! It's just a challenge if you want to join me, to be smarter about your purchases, and simplify in the process.)
June’s Wardrobe Breakdown
JUNE / Age 3 / Capsule Wardrobe (September-December 2018)
(1) Jogger Sweatpant
(3) Pairs of Jeans
(6) Pairs of Leggings
(2) Longsleeved Dresses
(2) Rompers
(5) Longsleeved Shirts/Sweatshirts
(4) Skirts
(9) T-Shirts
(5) Shoes *not pictured
(1) Winter Coat *not pictured
________________
Total: 38 Items
*Side note: the only reason I am listing an end date of "December" is because I know both girls will get some new items for Christmas, and I'll want to add those into the mix with a fresh set of pieces for the new year. :) Obviously many of these items will still be wearable come that time!
**Things you don't need to include in your final count, but should still be intentional about are pajamas, messy play clothes, and accessories like headbands or hats or backpacks.
Sunny’s Wardrobe Breakdown
SUNNY / Baby / Capsule Wardrobe (September-December 2018)
(2) Sunsuit/Bubble Romper
(4) T-Shirts
(5) Long-sleeved Onesies
(8) Short-sleeved Onesies
(8) Pairs of Leggings
(1) Denim Jacket
(5) Rompers
(2) Sweatshirts *not pictured
(1) Pair of shoes *not pictured
(1) Winter Coat *not pictured
________________
Total: 37 Items
*Things you don't need to include in your final count, but should still be intentional about are pajamas, messy play clothes, accessories like headbands or hats.
I would challenge you to give this a try. You might even be able to try this method without buying a single new thing. The point really is to simplify the getting dressed routine, have less laundry to do, have your kids really wear each item you've spent your hard earned money on, and to prove to yourself that you really can live with less.
Just use what you've got, get creative, have fun with it, and enjoy the simplicity of it all.
I want to say a GIANT thank you to Noni Bee, Alice & Ames, Rad Revolution Kids and Mochi Kids for gifting the girls some of the items for their fall wardrobes. Please take a minute to check out their websites or Instagrams because all four of these companies are run by hardworking ladies who make amazing things for your kids to wear. 😍
Follow them on Instagram here -- @noni.bee, @aliceandames, @radrevolutionkids & @mochi_kids
Sweatshirt in Gold Key (Noni Bee) | Leggings in Berry Guitar (Noni Bee) | Romper in Sky Guitar (Noni Bee) | Ballet Dress in Navy Stripe (Alice & Ames) | Ballet Dress in Mulberry (Alice & Ames) | Gauze Pocket Skirt in Licorice(Alice & Ames) | Infant Sunsuit in Tigerlily Stripe (Alice & Ames) | Headscarf (Alice & Ames) | Black + White Stripe Romper (RadRev Kids) | Georgia Peach Romper (RadRev Kids) | Banana Lightweight Pullover (Mochi Kids) | Kawaii Icecream Bodysuit (Mochi Kids) | Peace Pretzel Pin (Mochi Kids) | Banana Baby Tee (Mochi Kids)
